I find that screenwriting is at best kind of a hackwork in some ways.

I was never conscious of my screenplays having any acts. It's all bullshit.

Egotism is not a good quality. It's not something to be admired or even tolerated. It wouldn't be tolerated in a field commander and it shouldn't be tolerated in a movie director.

I also thought of myself as the Sonny Barger of the film industry.

Charging a man with murder in this place was like handing out speeding tickets at the Indy 500.

The people that really pass judgment on you really have nothing to do with what you do, usually.

Writing requires a great deal of skill, just like painting does. People don't want to learn those skills.